Thor #348
The Dark and the Light
England
Deep below the Cotswold, Malekith the Dark Elf is about to open the Casket of Ancient Winters in order to unleash Surtur upon Midgard. The only person standing in his way is Roger Willis, the chosen guardian of the Casket. Roger was temporarily blinded by a Malekith but his vision quickly clears thanks to the metal plate in his skull — an old war injury — that provided some immunity against Malekith’s magic. However, the blast did remove the anointed oil from Roger’s eyes that allowed him to see the Dark Elves. This is a moot point because he can determine Malekith’s position because he can still see the Casket and manages to shoot his enemy in the arm. Leaving the Casket in the care of Wormwood, one of his minions, Malekith leads his warriors on a hunt to stop Roger Willis.
Meanwhile, Thor and Algrim the Strong are plummeting toward a pool of lava after falling through one of Malekith’s trap doors. Separated from his mystical hammer, Mjolnir, Thor commands the weapon to return to him. Mjolnir smashes through the layers of rock to get to its master and Thor uses it to fly out to freedom, leaving Algrim to plummet to his doom.[1]
Asgard
Balder has been brough to the domain of the Norns by Wyrd after he saved her life in the endless desert. This all turned out to be a test of his fate and they show him that the lives of everyone in Asgard are determined by the threads that the Norns weave. Among the different threads, Balder is shocked to discover that Loki’s thread is still intact.[2]
Wyrd then hands Balder his own thread and tells him that it is currently unbroken but if he wishes to end his life all he need do is snap the thread, but warns him to do it quickly. Balder hesitates a moment too long and finds himself pulled through the tapestry of his life. As he is tangled in the skeins of his life Balder sees his past. This makes him sees the many lives he has and will touch and that every action he takes resonates and affects the lives of others. Suddenly, Balder falls through all the thread and begins falling into a dark void. Here he sees that his thread of fate has been broken and reaches out to grab both ends and tie them back together.[3]
As he does so, Balder suddenly finds himself holding onto the reins of his horse and is riding out of the desert. He wonders if the whole encounter with the Norns was a dream until he sees that he has a white thread tied around one of his fingers, proving to him that the encounter really did happen. As he passes by Agnar of Vanaheim he grabs the young warrior and pulls him onto Silverhoof’s back. He tells Agnar that they must return to Asgard immediately for there is a great battle coming. As they ride back to the kingdom, Agnar notices that Balder has undergone a complete change since the first time they met.[4]
England
Roger has doubled back to the chamber where Malekith sent Thor falling through a trap floor. As he tries to figure out his next move, Thor suddenly breaks through the rubble alive and well. When Malekith arrives in the room moments later, Thor uses the shadows to trick the dark elf into thinking he is Roger. This gives Thor the element of surprise and despite the fact that Malekith summons mystical armor to protect himself, the thunder god pummels him into unconsciousness.
With their foe defeated, Thor suggests that they find Melodi and the Casket of Ancient Winters as quickly as possible.
Asgard
The Warriors Three have been charged with gathering warriors from all over Asgard to prepare for the inevitable battle against Surtur. Although the army is quickly growing, Odin fears that they will still be outnumbered ten to one and orders his faithful chamberlain to have his own armor readied so that Odin himself can be as prepared for what must come.
England
Thor and Roger find what appears to be Melodi under armed guard. Thor easily trounces them and is happily reunited with the woman he loves. However, Roger notices that this is a trick because he can’t see “Melodi” because she is a dark elf in disguise. With his gun out of ammo, Roger tosses it at the impostor. Contact with iron causes the Wormwood to drop his disguise and Thor knocks him out for tricking him. Thor then spots the realm Melodi and the Casket of Ancient Winters. However, before he can reach either, Malekith returns with his full army.
With the odds deeply against him, Thor tosses Mjolnir through the ceiling causing the suns rays to penetrate the darkened chamber. One of their weaknesses, the elves cannot reach their foes or the coveted Casket. Unwilling to accept defeat, Malekith risks injury to pick up Roger’s gun and throws it with sufficient force to shatter the Casket of Ancient Winters, unleashing its full fury upon the world.
Muspelheim
Surtur and his demonic hordes wait patiently at a sealed portal that will bring them to Midgard, the first stop on their way to Asgard. Suddenly, the barrier is frozen solid allowing Surtur to shatter it with his sword, Twilight, allowing him to finally cross over to Earth.
Recurring Characters
Thor, Malekith, Norns (Wyrd, Skuld, Verdandi), Balder, Agnar, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), Odin, Wormwood, Algrim, Lorelei, Surtur, Roger Willis, Silverhoof
Continuity Notes
This is not the end of Algrim, who will be resurrected and transformed into Kurse by the Beyonder in Secret Wars II #4.
This is all quite complicated, allow me to explain: Loki was responsible for putting Balder in a death like state in Thor #274. Balder’s soul then wandered Hel and saw many unspeakable horrors until he was brought back to life in issue #301. From that point on, Balder had sworn off all violence. He was forced to compromise this new decree thanks to the machinations of Loki. Balder later decapitated the trickster in a fit of rage in Thor #344. What Balder didn’t know was that Loki actually survived. Horrified by what he believed to have done, Balder wandered into the endless desert to die.
Two images from Balder’s past are prevalent here: One is how he destroyed the Utgard Dragon in Journey into Mystery #123. The other is Balder rejecting Karnilla from Thor #154.
